# Penny Dreadful: City of Angels (2020)

> A 1938 Los Angeles supernatural saga pits characters tied to Santa Muerte against others allied with the Devil amid Mexican-American folklore and social tension.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/71368

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 10
- Episode runtime: 60 min
- Status: Canceled
- Genres: horror, mystery, drama
- Created by: John Logan
- Network: Showtime
- Cast: Natalie Dormer, Daniel Zovatto, Kerry Bishé, Adriana Barraza, Jessica Garza, Michael Gladis, Johnathan Nieves, Rory Kinnear
- TMDB rating: 6.1/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10361016/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: brooding, gothic, atmospheric, tense, melancholic

## What critics say

Audiences rated this supernatural period crime drama modestly, with its atmosphere and folklore setting drawing interest but its storytelling viewed as uneven.

## Synopsis

Penny Dreadful: City of Angels (2020) is an American gothic horror drama series created by John Logan for Showtime. Set in 1938 Los Angeles, the single-season run follows characters drawn into a supernatural conflict between figures connected to the deity Santa Muerte and others allied with the Devil. Natalie Dormer plays Magda, a central figure in this struggle, alongside Daniel Zovatto as Tiago Vega and Kerry Bishé as Sister Molly. Adriana Barraza and Jessica Garza appear as members of the Vega family, whose lives are shaped by the city's tensions. Rory Kinnear plays Dr. Peter Craft, and Nathan Lane appears as Lewis Michener. The engine of the show is the collision between sacred and damned forces as ordinary people navigate a city marked by segregation, class division, and Mexican-American community life. Each hour-long episode blends period crime investigation with occult dread, building a slow, atmospheric mystery. The tone is brooding and gothic, with an emphasis on folklore, faith, and moral ambiguity. Fans of Penny Dreadful, Lovecraft Country, and The Alienist will find resonance in its period horror and dark historical texture. The series was canceled after its ten episodes, leaving its central storyline unfinished.

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